San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-02-28

I ueTS DIV the force WIN which he mad
been precipitated from one side of the
cab to the other.
He called aloud To cabby, but as there
was no response the young man fought
his way out as best The might, to find,
/ when landed ON his feet, that the vehi-
/ Gle had shed a wheel. the horse had
! stumbled beneath the shock of the con-
| sequent overthrow, whilst the man was
not apparently, for Dick looked around
| for him in vain.
The poor fellow had, indeed, been
| roughly pitched out of his seat head
| foremost, and now lay numbed, stun
| ned and insensible, almost buried in the
! drifted snow, which treacherously COW
cred an adjacent ditch; but some long
moments elapsed before Dick even sue
| ceeded in discovering his whereabouts;
meanwhile the horse plunged and strug-
| gled frantically, vainly seeking to ex-
| tricate itself from the traces and brok-
en- shafts, to the imminent peril Of life
and limb.
The young man glanced desparingly
| around; then he laughed aloud, for des-
| pite the undoubted terrors of the situa-
ton, it appeared to him an element of
the ludicrOus was not altogether want
ing. For he knew himself to be within
few miles of the great modern Baby
lon on the one and, and the snug VIC
arage on the other. The hour was not
yet six, 'and lat home" without doubt
''the girls were preparing for tea; the
fire blaZed, the lights were lit, all things
wore festive air, out of compliment
no less to the season than the anxiously
expected guest. Meanwhile Dick told
himself it was by no means improbable
this Christmas Eve would be his last on
earth, for he felt convinced he should
never survive the long nights exposure
to the frost and snow if he were des-
tined to remain in present quarters I'M
til morning, yet circumstances seemed
to render hopeless and preposterous
the mere notion of reaching home that
night.
One of the carriage lamps fortunately
yet blazed brightly, or the condition of
the hapless travellers would have been
additionally pitiable. Dick went round
to the horses head, and released it
from as much of the CALLING harness as
was practicable; but finding the poor
brute too deeply buried in the snow to
render any attempt to raise it feasible,
he contented himself by lOosening its
girths and unstrapping the shafts, leav-
ing the unfortunate beast to subside
gradually, as it grew numbed and
exhausted by its struggles in the drift
ed snow.
Then Dick took the lamp in his own
stiff hand, and, having thaWed his froZ-
EN- fingers by contact with the heated
glass, proceeded in search of the hap
less driver, whom he presently discov-
cred at a distance of some half-dozen
yards buried up to his armpitS, and ev-
identity senseless-if not, indeed, al
ready dead, reflected Dick, with an ON
nous thrill at his heart.
But even to reach the mans side was
in itself matter of no small difficulty.
Finding the snow give way beneath his
feet, and perceiving the grisly tops of
some bushes hardly Dick at once
jumped to the conclusion that the poor
fellow had been precipitated into a
snOw-covered ditch, whence his eXtri-
cation was likely to prove no easy mat
ter. Carlisle was brave of heart as
stout of limb, yet the reader will scarce
ly be surprised to learn that sudden
namelesS dread lock possession of him
as he glanced appealingly around, as
though vainly implOring help from
earth and heaven, whilst the bitter
wind alone made reply, soughing deris-
lively among the trees which uprose
here and there at long intervals, max
ing the landscape seem, if possible,
but the more grim and fOrbidding.
The snow, however, had temporarily
ceased, which was in itself no small
mitigation of the young mans misery.
He could now at any rate take survey
of the scene for some distance on either
side, and perceiying a wooden gate
few yards to the right, justly conclud-
ed that it must mark the entrance to
field beyond, communicating by slip
of land spanning the ditch with the
main road. So he forthwith turned his
steps in that direction, and prodding
the snow with his umbrella, which in
this emergency proved invaluable, he
found that it was here only some few
inches deep; so he stumbled easily
enough across to the gate, whence,
clinging to the snow-clad bushes, he
CROPPED his way along the back of the
ditch towards the still motionless fig
as the lightly drifted snow gave way by
natural warmth.
Arrived within arms reach of his dis
abled comrade, still Dick hesitated. 1t
seemed that by plunging bodily into the
snow he would sink beside the man,
and thus render himself altogether pow
erlesS. Yet to see fellow creature eX-
tended motionless as death, within
couple of yards of ones own hand, and
yet make no effort to rescue him, was
too terrible a contingency to be even
momentarily contemplated. Again
Dick glanced desparingly arOund-ah!
was it possible? or did his eyes deceive
himp For as he gaZed it seemed to
him, that on the far side of the hedge,
some distance in advance, moving fig
ure was distinguishable-a short muf-
fled figure, shapeless, formless, plough
ing through the snow; whether man,
boy or beast, Dick could not say-Only
it was receding steadily from view,
casting strange shadows on the snow.
He raised his voice; he shouted again,
and yet again:
Help, helpl" he wildly cried; ''fOr
the love of Heaven, helpl helpless fell
low-creature lies perishing in the
snowl"
But answer there was none, only a
dreary derisive echo, which seemed to
mock his impotent frenzy, and render
the desolatiOn of the scene yet more
pitiably oppressive. Dick turned again
toward the PROSTATE man. Hal surely
now he stirred; that shout had pene-
trated his numbed brain. Awaking
slowly from his trance he opened his
eyes and stared blankly round.
Heaven be praised!" cried Dick.
keep up, old man, and all will yet be
well. Seek to rouse yourself; on no ac-
count close your eyes again, and-in
another moment will be back by your
side"
Thus inspired, Dicks own dropping